41 Best Things To Do in Phuket Town

Phuket Old Town is the historical centre of Phuket Town (officially elevated to Phuket City since 2004, but its old name somehow stuck). Established during the peak of the tin mining boom at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, this district hosts superb mansions and beautifully preserved shophouses built in a Sino-colonial architectural style. Phuket Old Town’s aspect is rather similar to Georgetown’s in Penang: shophouses with arcades flank both sides of the streets, and Chinese shrines are more numerous than Buddhist Temples.

Phuket Old Town is in constant evolution with the opening of many restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and bars, making it a lively place to hang around after sunset. During the day, it remains an important commercial hub, with 2 markets held on Ranong Road. Every Sunday, Phuket Walking Street is an extremely popular event held on Thalang Road that attracts thousands of visitors.

Phuket Weekend Market (also known as Talad Tai Rot or Chao Fah Market) is the equivalent of Chatuchak Market in Bangkok, albeit much smaller. Held every Saturday and Sunday (hence its name) on Wirat Hong Yok Road off Chao Fa West Road, 1 km south of Central Festival Phuket, it covers a 30,000-sq-m area. You could find almost anything here, whether it's first- and second-hand, souvenirs, accessories, and even pets, as well as an entire section dedicated to local food. It's interesting to note that many items also available in Phuket's west coast resort towns are sold here at far lower prices.

Attracting thousands of shoppers every weekend, this market gives you a chance to sample street snacks such as satay (chicken or pork brochettes), fried insects, pastries (colourful cakes), kebabs, sushi, dim sum (Cantonese steamed buns), and much more.

Phuket Walking Street is an extremely popular market/fair held every Sunday in the heart of Phuket Old Town on Thalang Road. This 350-metre-long commercial and cosmopolitan street is already well frequented during the week due to the many shops, restaurants, bars and guesthouses it hosts, but reaches an affluence climax from 4pm to 8pm during this weekly event. Also known as Lardyai Phuket (from Talaad Yai or ‘big market’ in Thai), Phuket Walking Street is a must-visit for people who would like to get a glimpse into southern Thailand life.

The event gathers an outstanding number of stalls selling an eclectic range of products – from handcrafted accessories and souvenirs to clothing and fancy jewellery. It’s a great place to find original presents to bring back home.

Phuket Trickeye Museum is entirely dedicated to the art of trompe-l’oeil (French for ‘deceive the eye’), a painting technique that creates a 3-dimensional illusion on a 2-dimensional (flat) support. Set in a large, 2-storey building at the intersection of Montri and Phang Nga roads, Phuket Trickeye Museum displays a gallery of about 100 paintings offering great photo opportunities as well as a lot of fun.

Sample photos are available to show visitors how they should position themselves in front of the paintings to take the most realistic illusional picture (it also means that the experience is better with friends and family so you could take each other’s photos). From classic paintings with a twist to scenes of modern life to historical settings to movie scenes, you can travel around the world and across time in this highly amusing museum.

Baan Chinpracha is a typical Sino-colonial mansion built in 1903, during the Phuket tin mining boom that saw the establishment of the Chinese tin barons in Phuket Town. Baan Chinpracha is located off Krabi Road, near the western end of Phuket Old Town – the historical district that was entirely built during this time of economic growth in Phuket.

The owner of Baan Chinpracha is the grandson of one of these tin’s barons. With his wife, they decided to open some parts of the house – 2 upstairs bedrooms, the kitchen and all of the ground floor area – to visitors interested in having a sneak peek at how a wealthy Phuket family used to live many decades ago. The house is in perfect conditions and features most of its original decor and furnishings. People interested in history and architecture should not miss this heritage building when visiting Phuket Town.

Siam Niramit Phuket is a great theatrical show relating Thai historical, artistic and cultural facts and beliefs in an extravagant yet extremely professionally run performance. The Siam Niramit Phuket complex is located just off the Bypass Road, on the outskirts of Phuket Town. Divided into 3 acts, the show features songs, dance routines and traditional martial arts.

From the stage decor to the lighting to the special effects to the costumes, everything in the show has been very well thought out, and the result is spectacular and as educational as it is entertaining. It's best to arrive early to visit the surrounding attractions and facilities in traditional Thai-style houses, a floating market, and the souvenir shops.

Located on the Bypass Road, Baan Teelanka – The Upside Down House is a fully furnished 3-storey house built literally leaning on its roof. The first impression when visiting this house is that you just went too far down the rabbit hole: all of the furniture and even a fish tank hang from the floor above you as you walk on the ceiling from room to room. Visiting Baan Teelanka is indeed a fun and brain-puzzling experience.

The house’s garden is not upside down (yet) but offers what could be a timeless experience: a maze. You know at what time you enter the maze but you don't know at what time you'll get out from it! Drinks and snacks are available onsite.

Thai Hua Museum is set in a splendid, well-preserved Sino-colonial mansion located on Krabi Road in Phuket Old Town. Originally used as a Chinese-language school, it went through an extensive renovation in 2008 and reopened as a museum the same year. Nowadays, it also hosts art exhibitions and is used as a function hall during the annual Phuket Old Town Festival as well as other special events.

Built during Phuket’s tin mining boom of the early 20th century, Thai Hua Museum is a large, 2-storey house that features a dozen exhibition rooms full of displays and information about the history of Phuket and the influential families whose ancestors came from China to escape poverty. This very interesting museum brings to light a great range of facts and actions that led to the development of the Phuket we know today.

Jui Tui Shrine is a popular Chinese temple that plays a pivotal part in the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Located on Soi Phuthorn, off Ranong Road and not far from Phuket’s main market, it’s a must-see site for all newcomers to Phuket as it's one of the oldest and the most respected spiritual centres around. Jui Tui Shrine's main building has been through a number of renovations, resulting in an attractive exterior and an interior with 3 large altars featuring statues of Chinese gods.

Its principal deity is Tean Hu Huan Soy, the god associated with performing artists and dancers (The Chinese opera regards him as their patron). His image is set in the middle and at the highest position on the main altar, accompanied by a statue of a dog and a chicken to each side. They are said to have been his favourite pets since childhood. Photography is allowed inside the hall.

The Phuket Buddha image and amulet market is a specialised market that attracts many local and overseas Buddhists. The market is in a tiny alley off Rassada Road in Phuket Town, not far from the Fountain Circle and just a few steps from Salvatore’s Italian restaurant.

In Thailand, amulets were first made in temples and handed out to followers of the Buddha’s teachings to provide them with a constant reminder of the Buddha’s values or to commemorate highly respected monks after their death. Prices of amulets can range from a couple of hundred baht to as much as 100,000 baht (and even more).

The Bang Neow Shrine, also spelt as Bang Niew and known as Tao Buang Keng and Thep Rasi Foundation Shrine, is a beautiful place of worship in Phuket Town. Founded in 1904, it was originally part of another shrine on Soi Romanee in the Old Town. It has moved a few times – strangely enough, always because of fire.

Looking in from the road, you’ll notice that the shrine is unusually long and has many doors. This is because it houses many shrines (almost 10 of them) that lie immediately next to each other. The most important shrine is the one in the middle, where the main deity is. You can find the shrine on Phuket Road at the Bang Neow intersection. If heading to Saphan Hin Park, the shrine is on the left-hand side of the road.

Hanuman World Phuket is an exciting yet extremely safe treetop ziplining adventure just to the west of Phuket Town. With 30 thrilling lines up to 400 metres in length, dodging between huge and ancient trees in dense hillside jungle, it's a great way for families and thrill-seekers to get close to nature without risking either your own safety or that of the trees around you.

The large adventure park also features a skywalk, allowing you to traverse the forest canopy at a rather more sedate pace, stopping to look at the remarkable wild trees and plants around you. The walk leads to a large platform with a bar for trying out different local fruits and their juices.

Hok Nguan Kung Shrine, at the Surin Circle Clock Tower near The Metropole Hotel Phuket, has long been a religious centre of many Phuket families since it was founded more than 80 years ago.

The most important ritual object here is the crafted image of the deity Ju Su Kong (which explains why locals refer to this shrine as Ju Su Kong Shrine). His statue is made from sandalwood and is black from head to toe, so it’s not difficult to recognise him.

IWP International Wake Park in Phuket is a great place to try the fun-filled activity of wakeboarding. The park uses a Rixen cable system and has 2 swimming pools with steam rooms overlooking the lake, so while chilling and relaxing you're still in view of the action.

International Wake Park also provides activities for families to spend a fun day out together. With lots on offer, everyone will be entertained. There's a restaurant on-site, and there's complimentary Wi-Fi in all public areas.

Khao Rang Viewpoint – sometimes called Rang Hill Viewpoint – is among the most famous of the many viewpoints around Phuket. The charming location offers unrivalled views to the south, right across the island’s main city and all the way to the Big Buddha, atop the hills in the distance. Some of the small, verdant islands off Phuket’s east coast are also visible.

The viewpoint itself is marked with a beautiful open pagoda, which leads out to a large viewing platform at the edge of the hilltop, with guardrails for safety. The whole area is surrounded by landscaped gardens and mature rubber trees, making it a very peaceful and natural spot. There's also a modest selection of cafés nearby, which take full advantage of the fantastic view.

Kiew Tien Keng (also called Kio Thian Keng Saphan Hin Shrine) is a stunning shrine set in a superb location at Saphan Hin Park in Phuket. Some consider it among the most beautiful places of worship on the island.

It’s the only shrine that's located near the seashore and is considered the departure spot to send all gods/deities back to heaven on the final night of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. It’s where the colourful parades of each shrine officially come to an end when a normal diet can resume.

Koh Sirey, on the east side of Phuket Town, sometimes feels more like a small cape than an island. Covering only about 20 sq km, most of Koh Sirey is delightfully free of construction and driving along its leafy eastside coastal road with its rubber plantations is a pleasure. It really feels like a Phuket from decades ago. To get there means having to pass through Phuket's port area and it takes only 15 minutes or less by car from the town centre.

Toe Sae Hill in Phuket Town is sometimes referred to as Monkey Hill. The reason why becomes fairly obvious after going just a few hundred metres up it, when you come across a troupe of macaques munching away on fruit brought to them by locals.

Probably the highest hill in Phuket Town, Monkey Hill is home to a few TV and radio stations and a popular recreation spot where many locals jog daily. The hill has several great viewpoints at different levels. The hill is near Phuket Provincial Hall and Provincial Court in Phuket Town. If you’re coming from Thepkasattri Road, take the first road left (Toe Sae Road) after Phuket Prison on Dammrong Road.

Peranakan Phuket Museum in Thalang offers you the chance to learn and absorb the history of Phuket through the gorgeous architectural surroundings. It’s a great alternative for people wanting to soak up the culture and look for an alternative way to cool off during the hot summer months.

As the museum is quite small, it doesn't take long to walk around, but there are plenty of interesting things to see and do, like dressing up in the costumes of the past at the photo studio connected to the museum. There’s a beautiful restaurant and a stylish café that both provide refreshments here and a great way to end a day well spent on the island.

The Boat Lagoon Phuket, next to Royal Phuket Marina in Koh Kaew, was the island's first marina complex. It's surrounded by a group of condominiums, the Boat Lagoon Resort, serviced apartments and restaurants, shops and offices.

Short- and long-term accommodation is available overlooking the marina. This circular, 180-berth lagoon was originally a tidal flat at the head of a shallow, meandering 3-km creek, Klong Tha Rua. You can reach the marina following Thepkasattri Road in Koh Kaew on the eastern side of Phuket.

Phuket plays host to a wonderful mix of nationalities who have chosen to live here. There are Thais, Chinese, Malays, Indians and Nepalese, a young and growing Eurasian community and a unique mix of Hokkien Chinese and Thais called 'Baba'.

The Baba community's heritage is evident in Phuket's Old Town through the architecture, commerce, dress and way of life. The core of the Old Town is essentially made up of 5 roads and a few small connecting streets. These are Rassada Rd, Phang Nga Rd, Thalang Rd, Dibuk Rd, and Krabi Rd. This quarter simply teems with history.

Phuket Philatelic Museum is located inside an 80-year-old building on Montri Road, which looks amazing from the outside. There are several sections inside, including one that exhibits posters explaining how the Thai Postal Service has developed since its start during the reign of forward-thinking King Rama V.

Another room houses a good amount of old (some antique) equipment and machines such as telegraph tickers, telephones, and parcel-weighing machines. The last section is a souvenir room where sets of Thai stamps are on sale, along with other items. Over a thousand stamps of real vintage and interesting Thai stamps are on display, with information in both English and Thai.

Put Cho Shrine (also known as Put Jaw Chinese Temple) is the oldest Chinese temple in Phuket. The original was built about 200 years ago and underwent a major renovation in 1908. Some locals refer to the temple as Kwan Im Teng as it was built in honour of Kwan Im, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy.

Many locals come here to seek help when they have health issues. They shake a box full of bamboo sticks until one falls out, then use the number written on the stick to get a medication prescription from the temple and take it to a Chinese herbal medicine shop. Parents with Chinese heritage also come to get names for their newborn to ensure they have a good and long life.

Nobody knows exactly when Wat Sam Kong (Samkong Shrine) was built. All that's known is that a well-to-do family donated a plot of land together with images of some Taoist deities to start it off.

Since then, the shrine has been a major part of Samkong village life, especially when someone is ill or needs some advice to improve their health. Some of them bring along traditional medicine from local shops and pray for the deity to bless it before use. Visiting the shrine is free but donations supporting shrine renovations and charities are appreciated.

Saphan Hin is a popular seaside park that's had a long relationship with islanders since the tin mining boom around the turn of the 20th century in Phuket. It was a major trading port and the only beach located in Phuket Town.

It took a lot of work, money and more than 40 years to develop the area into the agreeable and functional park it is now. It’s the main venue of most of Phuket’s annual events, including the Red Cross Fair, Loy Kratong and a large procession from Chinese shrines on the last day of Phuket's famous Vegetarian Festival.

The Shrine of the Serene Light is a landmark temple site that was built in 1889 by a local Chinese family and is relatively little known due to its concealed location on Yaowarat Road, near the Amulet Market in Phuket.

Founded in 1891 by the Hokkien Chinese descendants of the Tan Luan Jae family, the Shrine of the Serene Light – also known as Sang Tham Shrine, with several other name variations depending on the language and dialect – is modest in size, but extravagant in appearance. It clearly shows its heritage in its distinctive architectural design, with features common in Hokkien Chinese shrines such as the terracotta-tiled roof and single-storey construction.

A must-do in Phuket is a walk in the old part of Phuket City, around Thalang, Dibuk and Krabi roads. The beautiful architecture along these roads will take you back to the charm of a century ago.

According to Pranee Sakulpitpatana, a lecturer at Phuket Rajabhat University and one of the island’s premier historians, the architecture is a reflection of European influence on the island. Europeans, including the Portuguese and the British, had been interested in Phuket’s tin wealth since the 16th century. Other sources suggest that the style came with the Chinese migrants who travelled from George Town in Penang, Malaysia in pursuit of Phuket's tin.

Soi Romanee (also spelt Soi Rommani and Soi Rommanee) is a street in the heart of Phuket Old Town and a must-do for anyone looking for Phuket’s historical vibes. A walk along the street that connects Thalang Road with Dibuk Road evokes Phuket’s interesting history.

Like many streets in Phuket’s old quarter, there are lots of attractive Sino-colonial-style shophouses. Some of the vintage buildings have been converted into bars, guesthouses and cafés. Here you can enjoy an easy-going night out, but remember to bring along your camera.

The small museum in the lobby of the Thavorn Hotel in Phuket City is both eclectic and eccentric. An assortment of artefacts and photos gathered by the Chinese-Thai family who run the Thavorn Group are displayed erratically in a rather dim and dingy setting.

In addition to an extensive collection of photos of old Phuket and Thai royalty, there are traditional Chinese wedding hats, tin mining equipment, toy trains, opium smoking beds and pillows, and movie posters. Stepping into this place (which costs a small fee) really does feel like entering another era.

Located along Phang Nga Road in Phuket Old Town and formerly known as On On Hotel (in Chinese, un un means ‘happiness for all visitors’), The Memory at On On Hotel went through a complete renovation in 2012 and 2013. On On was the first hotel to open on the island in 1929 and witnessed the island’s tin-mining era. Much later in life, it played a starring role in the 2000 movie The Beach.

In Phuket Town, Ta Pan Hin was the port from where the tin was exported to all around the world, mostly aboard European ships. A tin baron and trader had the idea to set up accommodation for other traders coming to Phuket Town. The first On On Hotel opened with only 5 rooms, which cost approximately 80 satang (not even one baht) a night! The price has gone up a bit since then.

Wat Kajonrangsan, or Wat Kajon for short, is an unusual Buddhist temple in terms of design. The main building (or pra u-bosod) has a Roman-style architecture, which is unique in Phuket. It also has a beautiful set of Thai-style pagodas.

If you visit between 7am and 8am, you'll come across quite a busy place. This is because Wat Kajonrangsan School is located within the same compound. It might be fun to be there early to observe the traditional Thai way of life, where the temple is at the heart of everything, including education.

Wat Khao Rang Samakkhitham, also known as Sumnak Song Khao Rang, is a temple that enjoys a great location in Phuket Town, sitting on the slope of the popular Khao Rang (Rang Hill).

This is where visitors can discover a large golden sitting Buddha – the first of its kind on the island. This charming temple is busy at weekends when locals pay a visit. To get there, take the road Soi Vachira, leading from the Vachira Hospital. The temple is a few hundred metres up on the right.

Wat Putta Mongkon (also spelt Wat Buddhamongkol) has beautiful architectural features. This includes a yellow chedi (pagoda), a small bell tower and a Sino-colonial mansion used as a dormitory for the temple monks.

There are 2 ways to enter this wat; by Thepkasatri Road or by Dibuk Road, opposite the famous Soi Romanee. It's often referred to as Wat Klang ('centre temple' in Thai) because of its location in the heart of Phuket Town.